In an exclusive interview, the Arsenal star revealed why he turned his back on England — despite living in London since he was a baby and playing for them at youth level.
The Lagos-born winger, 19, made his decision after heart-to-hearts with his lawyer father Chuka and his uncle, the former Bolton midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha.
According to the The Sun UK, Iwobi said: “I understand why some England fans are surprised with my decision.
“It was a difficult one to make, one I thought very carefully about. I have no regrets.
“I have always been part of the England youth set-up and have 11 caps at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 levels.
“But when I was first invited by the Nigeria FA, my dad told me to follow my heart and that is what I have done.”
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger insisted in January that Iwobi “should be playing for England”.
But Iwobi said: “He just told me to follow my heart. I also sought the opinion of my uncle, who shared his experiences.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about how football is run in Nigeria but I decided to see for myself.”
Iwobi made his competitive Super Eagles debut against Egypt last month, to end any chance of a switch back to the Three Lions.
And the winger is now targeting the summer’s Rio Olympics. He said: “It was an emotional moment donning the green and white colours.
“Now I hope to contribute towards Nigeria qualifying for the World Cup and look forward to playing a part in the forthcoming Olympics.”
Iwobi signed for Arsenal at the age of six having being spotted in a Sunday League game playing for Rippleway Under-7s.
Idolising Thierry Henry as a child, his rise into the Gunners’ first team has been dramatic.
The forward was thrown in against Barcelona in the Champions League.
He drooled: “It was a great experience playing at the Nou Camp.
“I was hoping to exchange shirts with Lionel Messi but I was whisked away to do a post-match interview.
“Hopefully, there will be another opportunity.”
He then scored his first Premier League goals against Everton and Watford. And Iwobi has also just agreed a new contract which will tie him to the Emirates until 2021.
He said: “Scoring my first against Everton was fantastic — it was amazing hearing the Arsenal fans chanting my name. I am planning to do an African dance for my next goal.
“I love African music. I have loads of African songs and I will leave the fans to judge when I perform my first one.”
Alex, who was in action yesterday against West Ham as Arsenal continue their unlikely Premier League title pursuit.
The Gunners are 11 points behind leaders Leicester with seven games left.
But Iwobi said: “Some have written us off but no one in the dressing room is thinking outside of our target — to finish as champions.
“We have dropped crucial points but you cannot fault the commitment of the players. We shall fight to the last game as we still have a chance of winning the Premier League.”
And despite some fans calling for Wenger to step down after 20 years in charge, Iwobi said he owes the Frenchman a huge debt.
He added: “Arsene has a reputation for trusting young players and I have benefited immensely from this approach.
“No one knows the club better than him.
“It takes a special manager to see what others probably did not see in me.
“Arsene is a very experienced coach with a lot to offer.
“His record speaks for itself.”
The Sun UK
